Wireless corn-planter.



' Patented Feb. 4, I902. H. G. WITT.

WIRELESS CORN PLANTER.

Application Mud Sept. 10, 1901.)

2 SheetsSheet l.

51 nuentoz W armm No. 692,402. Patented; Feb. 4,4902

n. a. WITT.

WIRELES'SF'CORN"PLANTEB.

(Application flhd Sept. 10, 1901.) (No Model.) 2 s'hets sheet 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

HENRY G. \VITT, OF GRAFTON, IOWA.

WIRELESS CORN-PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 692,402, datedFebruary 4, 1902. Application filed September 1901. Serial No. 74,912.(No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY G. WITT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Grafton, in the county of Worth and State of Iowa, haveinvented a Wireless Corn-Planter, of which thefollowing is aspecification. i This invention has relation to planters, and mostespecially to the type designed for sowing seed in check-rows withoutthe intervention ofa check-1ine,as generally used in connection withimplements of the character aforesaid. The invention has for its objectto improve the general construction and deals most especially with themechanism whereby the depth of planting the seed is regulated, therunner-frame elevated, and the planter mechanism simultaneously thrownout of gear.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means foreffecting the result reference is to be had to the following descriptionand drawings hereto attached.

While the essential and characteristic features of the invention aresusceptible of modification, still the preferred embodiment of theinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which 7 Figure1 is a side elevation of a planter embodying the essential features ofthe invention. Fig. 2 is a top View thereof. Fig. 3 is a perspectiveview to show more clearly the relation and construction of the partsentering into the formation of the actuating mechanism. Fig. 4 is adetail View in section of the spout at the rear end of a runner, showingits relation to the hopper and the valve cooperating therewith. Fig. 5is a detailview in perspective of the lever for raising and lowering therunner-frame and simultaneously throwing the actuating mechanism out ofgear when the runner-frame is lifted.

Corresponding and like parts are referredto in the following descriptionand indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same referencecharacters.

The planter comprises the usual runner and wheel frames flexiblyconnected, so as to admit of their ready conformation to the surfacecondition of the ground over which the implement is drawn.

The runner-frame comprises runners 1 and cross-bar's 2 and 3 connectingthe runners. The pole or tongue 4 is located centrally of therunner-frame and is attached to the crossbars 2 and 3 and projects inthe rear of the said runner-frame for connection with the hand-lever 5,by means of which the runnerframe is raised and lowered and theactuating mechanism thrown out of gear. Hoppers 6 are supported at therear corners of the runnerframe, and the discharge-openings thereincommunicate with spouts 7at the rear ends of the runner l for conveyanceof the grain to the furrowsmade by the openers.

' The wheel-frame comprises longitudinal bars 8,cross bars 9 and 10,axle1l,and groundwheels 12. The forward ends of the longitudinal bars 8curve downward and have pivotal connection with the runner-frame in anyselected way, so as to admit of the independent movement of therunnerand wheel frames when passingover uneven ground. The drivers seat13 is secured to the rear end of a curved bar or support 14, attached atits lower end toa convenient portion 'of the wheelframe, asthe cross-bar9. A sprocket-wheel 15 is secured to the axle 11, so as to rotatetherewith, and a drive-chain 16 connects the sprocket-wheel 15 with asprocket-pinion 17, secured to the shaft 18, journaled on therunner-frame transversely to the line of motion of the machine, andwhich shaft actuates the seed-dropping mechanism of ordinaryconstruction, so as to effect a positive discharge of the seed from thehoppers in the spouts 7. The marker-shaft 19 is journaled in bearingsapplied to thewheel-frame and parallels the shaft '18 and axle Li, andisprovided at its ends with markers 20 for indicating the hill of cornor place of deposition of the seed, thereby assisting in setting theseed-dropping mechanism so as to plant the seed in straight lines andcheck-rows. A sprocket-wheel 21 issecured to the marker-shaft l9 and itsteeth are in meshing relation with the links of the drive-chain 16, soas to be actuated thereby. A clutch 22 is provided for throwing thegearwheel15 into and out of engagement with the axle l1, and this clutchis controlled bya shipper-lever 23, adapted to be actuated either by thefoot of the driver for throwing the mechanism out of gear at anytime orby means of the lever 5, whereby when the runner-frame is lifted theactuating mechanism is simultaneously thrown out of gear by contact of apart 24: of the lever 5 with a cam 2t on the shipper-lever The passageof the seed through the spouts '7 is controlled by means of valves 25,having rearwardly-extending stems 26, which are connected by means oflinks 27 with arms 28, projected rearwardly from a shaft 29, parallelingthe shafts l8 and 19 and journaled in therunner-frame. Aspring-arm30issecnrcd to the shaft 29 and extends in an upward direction therefromwithin the path of an arm 31, secured to a transverse shaft 32,journaled in standards 33, attached at their lower ends to parts of therunner-frame. The arm 31 is forked at its lower end, as shown at 33',and the forked sides are provided with a series of openings intransverse alinemcnt for the reception of a pin 34:, which engages withthe arm 30 and trips the same to effect a rocking of the shaft 29,whereby the valves 25 are actuated to release the seed confined in thespouts 7 and admit of the discharge thereof. The shaft 29 and valves 25,connected therewith, are returned to a normal position by means of aspring 35, connected at its lower end to an arm 36 of the shaft 29 andat its upper end to a projection 37 of the wheelframe. The shaft 32 isdriven from any convenient rotating part of the machine, and, as shown,a d rive-chain 33 connects a sprocketwheel 3!) of the shaft 32 with asprocket-wheel 40, attached to the shaft 19. By shifting the pin 34:into one or the other of the openings in the forked sides the arm 30 istripped, more or less, to regulate the amount of grain dropped in ahill.

Aspring-actuatedpresser41 bears upon the upper portion of thedrive-chain 16 and automatically takes up any slack therein, therebyassisting in holding the lower run of the drive-chain 16 in contact withthe teeth of the sprocket-wheel 21. The lever 5 extends withinconvenient reach of the drivers seat, so as to be operated therefrom,and its lower end is connected by means of a spring 42 at the rear endof the pole or tongue 4 and admits of a limited play of therunner-frame, which is essential to obviate breakage or serious injurywhen a runner passes over a stone, root, or other unyieldingobstruction. This lever is provided with the usual handlatch 43 forengagement with a notched segment M for holding the runner-frame at anyadjusted position. The lever 5 has an extension H for contact with theshipper-lever 23 to throw the actuating mechanism out of gearsimultaneously with lifting the runnerframe out of contact with theground.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. In aplanter, and in combination with the grain-spout, a valve forcontrolling the passage therethrough, and an arm connected with the saidvalve, a rotary shaft, an arm connected with the shaft for rotationtherewith and forked at its outer end, and a pin having adjustableconnection with the forked sides and adapted to intermittently actuatethe aforementioned trip-arm, substantiallyas set forth.

2. In aplanter, the combination of hoppers, grain-spouts leadingtherefrom, valves in the grain-spouts, a trip-arm connected with thesaid valves, a shaft, an arm connected with the said shaft for rotationtherewith, a pin adapted to have adjustable connection with the said armfor actuating the trip-arm to regulate the amount of grain dropped in ahill, a marker-shaft connected with the aforementioned shaft, adrive-shaft for actuating the operating parts, a clutch for throwing thedrive mechanism into and out of gear, a shipper-lever at all times undercontrol of the driver, and a hand-lever for raising and lowering therunner-frame and adapted to actuate the shipper-lever, substantially asset forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY G. WIT".

Witnesses:

E. BABRE, E. L. BixnLow.

